Entertainment

Apple Doesn't Like BitTorrent, Bans Drivetrain From the App Store

Ah, that App Store approval process. The overly strict and sometimes odd rules are causing more and more controversy every week; exactly seven days ago, we covered the rejection (now silently approved by Apple) of Nine Inch Nails' application due to foul language in a song used in the app; a song which you can buy on iTunes.

Now, in one swift move, Apple has basically said that anything that has to do with BitTorrent will never get into the App Store, which is not only weird or unfair; it's preposterous.

According to iLounge, Apple has rejected Maza Digital's iPhone application Drivetrain, which is used to remotely control Mac BitTorrent software Transmission.

The reason? “This category of applications is often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights. We have chosen to not publish this type of application to the App Store,” says Apple.

Are they serious? Neither the BitTorrent protocol itself nor BitTorrent-related applications - in this case, Transmission - are illegal. BitTorrent is used by many companies for distributing perfectly legal content; the first example that comes to mind are Blizzard's World of Warcraft patches, but there are thousands of similar examples. Not even the RIAA or the IFPI would go so far as to forbid people to install BitTorrent software on their computers (OK, maybe they would go so far if they could do whatever they wanted, but even they know what kind of negative reaction that idea would get from the general public).

As far as infringing third party rights, you can also do that with a bazillion other apps and services; one that comes to mind is Google Search. Should all of them, too, be banned from the App Store?

Apple needs to get their act together, rethink the app approval rules and start applying some common sense into it, because as it is, they just end up looking silly.

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